Tehmina Islam: I attended my first birth at the age of 16 when my childhood best friend gave birth. After that experience, I was called to midwifery and have been caring for pregnant women and birthing people since 2006. I started my own practice as a licensed midwife in 2011 and have followed midwifery care with a passion to continue to bring emotional & physical safety, informed choice, dignity, and respect to the sphere of pregnancy and birth. Nearly 500 women and pregnant people in our community have gifted me with the opportunity to care for them, mostly in a home birth or community-based setting.

I’ve been fortunate enough to foster 45 dogs, including one who had 13 puppies on my kitchen floor! My spouse and I are incredibly grateful to call this community our home and consider it a privilege to help creatures in transition – pregnant families and foster dogs! I have worked full time for a legal justice nonprofit for 16 years and also serve part time as the Midwife Consultant and Director of Clinical Services at Harambee Doula Care & Holistic Services, providing prenatal and in-home postpartum care. I am honored to be here.